20 comments:

Good lord...even as a bitter, childless twentysomething I think this is uncalled for. zOMG it's not in the city center! Someone call the culture police!

Someone still needs to explain to this suburbanite why it's ok for you all to discredit outlying communities but definitely NOT ok for any of us to discredit downtown, OTR, etc? Not that I do...I love the city but damn this elitist crap gets old! There's more than one reason for people not venturing out your way more often...and part of that reason is the constant bashing of people like me. I can only imagine rolling up to one of these OTR gallery events with my Clermont County tags.

The sad part is that I'm just as well-read, traveled, culturally experienced as you...just seemingly more appreciative of the fact that where someone lives doesn't dictate their entire personality.

How did this quote "discredit outlying communities?" Did I claim these communities are not paying their taxes or are really illegal communities that snuck in over the boarder?

You claim to be a well traveled, cuturally experienced person, good, but how much travelling have you done to exurbs or even suburbs? What valued culture that has interest or value enough to actually have something worth writing about?

You are more than welcome to come to OTR or any other part of the urban core of Cincinnati, Newport, or Covington, where you are going to find most of the interesting things in the Cincinnati area.

Speaking as a blogger, interesting and culturally relevant things are what I like most and as a person who has been to to the Great Wold Lodge, it is not a place where you are going to experience anything unique or remotely worth blogging about.

I'm certainly a fan of downtown and urban living but this does seem a bit harsh. I can certainly see why a giant indoor water park and hotel complex would be an appealing hook to get people to attend a gathering in winter. It doesn't devalue downtown, it is just different.

I also imagine that the gathering is meant for people to discuss a common interest rather than let's go to a place and blog about that place. If that were true, then yes it would make for some horrible posts.

Well, I am going to disagree. The problem is that this place is not different. It is the same as any exurb in any state across the country. That is the fundamental cultural problem with exurbs. People can do what they want, but they are not going to find socially or culturally relevant ideas out there. Holding up in an isolated hotel conference room does make for good blogging.

If this conference was for something based in this type of community, then fine, have it there, but it doesn't make for a good way to do anything but be couped up away form the world.

Well I apologize if this posts twice, but I responded this morning and don't see it.

If you're asking me to name some interesting things outside the city, I'll gladly do it. But I think the fact that you seem doubtful that anything valuable exists here proves my original point.

In addition, you ask me if I've even traveled to the ex/suburbs. If you re-read my original post you will see that I mention I live in Clermont County. Union Township to be exact.

I enjoy Cincy's museums, events, shop and more than probably most of my neighbors out here in Clermont County, I will admit. I also agree that there is a concentration "interesting and culturally relevant things" in the city. However, to seemingly ignore what lies beyond the city limits is to be the biggest of hypocrites. I know I can go downtown without being shot...why not admit (or see for yourself) that you can find something interesting out my way?

The best shopping in the metro area (Kenwood) is in a suburb. There are plenty of other interesting things in the suburbs. Our whole region is what makes us great, not just the city or the suburbs. Yes the core has the stadiums and the museums, but what about the beauty of the Loveland Bike Trail and Little Miami River. What about the ever charming communities of Mariemont, Glendale, and Wyoming? Most of the immigrant communities are found in the suburbs, and there are many cultural businesses in the burbs, and not very many in the City.

The sooner as we stop with this provincial foolishness, and realize that each part of the region has its place, the better.

You didn't answer my question. You Travel. Where do you travel to? Do you travel to exurban areas in other cities? Unless you are visiting someone, I am betting you don't. That's one of my points. My further point has been that the exurbs have been dragging American culture down and crushing what we had. The exurban areas of Cincinnati are prime examples of this, but they are not the only example.

I think you are talking about "nice" things, not culturally relevant. Malls are not cultural hots spots that are worth crowing about. Being charming or being nice is not what I am talking about. Culturally relevant is what I am referencing. I don't find those locations to have much. I also wouldn't call Mariemont an exurb.

Also, no, "most" of the immigrant communities are found in the "suburbs" I am not saying there are not immigrants living in the suburbs or exurbs, but to say "most" is just not valid. If the Butler county Seriff get his way, there won't be any.

Yes, I travel. And in fact, I make an effort to explore the areas beyond the cities I travel to. You and I agree that cities contain a concentration of culturally and historically significant events and places. But where we disagree seems to be that those places exist outside of the urban core as well and are worth visiting.

Examples of my travels to ex/suburbs when visiting cities:

Oak Park, IL. A suburb of Chicago which is home to some of the most impressive Frank Lloyd Wright architecture, including his studio. It is also home to Ernest Hemingway’s birthplace.

Flat Rock, NC. A suburb of Hendersonville and home to poet Carl Sandburg’s former residence and farm.

Bath, England. A suburb of Bristol and home to the world-famous Roman Baths and a former home of Jane Austen.

These are just three examples. When my husband and I sit down to organize a trip, we always look at the outlying areas and spend at least 1-3 days exploring them. We’ve found some real gems by not ignoring the suburbs in favor of staying in the city the entire duration of our stay.

That being said, I think it’s a mistake to confuse travel with residing in an area. When you travel, it’s most likely going to be to a major city and most people will stay there because that’s where the concentration of attractions and events are. You’re most likely on a time constraint and want to see the “big” stuff while you’re able.

However, living in an area gives you less of an excuse. To ignore the attractions and events in outlying areas where you live is to turn on blinders to something right outside your door.If it was never worth leaving the city, you would not have these all over rural and suburban areas:

http://www.remarkableohio.org/

Again, there are likely concentrations of historical markers in major cities. But you simply cannot continue to ignore that you live near some damn cool stuff that lies outside the city limits.

Have you been to Fort Ancient or Serpent Mound? Surely you are aware of the fact that those two places have been nominated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites? This would give them the same status of places like Stonehenge and the Great Barrier Reef. I think that it’s a pretty big mistake to say those are not worth visiting simply because there might be an Applebees within spitting distance.

Do you know that there are some pretty cool connections to locations in the city? One of my favorite examples is Krippendorf Lodge, located in Milford at the Cincinnati Nature Center. It was the country home of the son of one of Cincinnati’s biggest manufacturers in its day—the Krippendorf-Dittman Shoe Company. Today that building is known as Sycamore Lofts.

There are other random places, like a cemetery in Milford that is the final resting place of the man who dealt Wild Bill Hickok’s famous aces and eights right before he was shot in the back. Or Rowe Arboretum, located in Indian Hill—it’s a well-kept secret that makes for a wonderful Saturday sometime.

I really could go on and on, but if I haven’t convinced you that we’re not all eating at O’Charley’s and shopping at Kenwood, well, I don’t know that I can.

You are making the mistake of trying to say something I never said. I never written that 'everyone' living in the exurbs or the suburbs only eat at Chain Restaurants and I certainly didn't do that on this post.

I have certain written or inferred that most people, read most as in Majority >50% of the people living in the suburbs a vast majority of the time only go to chain Restaurant and big box retail outlets.

While I don't have exact numbers, these are facts, along with the fact that mass consumed media programming (reality shows, professional sports) are prime media consumed in these areas, all be it there are too much of this type of thing everywhere.

Bottom line, culture in the exurbs is about consumption, not experience. It is about consumption of the mass produced elements that have no basis in the communities where they were conceived. It is artificial. It is Disneyland.I don't like it and feel it continues to kill the American culture that once was much more vibrant, more local, more personal.

Finding a few gems in the ruff, doesn't change that majority I spoke about.